Image forming apparatus and process cartridge

Abstract

An image forming apparatus including: an electrophotographic photoreceptor; a non-contact charger located close to the electrophotographic photoreceptor, charging the electrophotographic photoreceptor; an irradiator irradiating the electrophotographic photoreceptor to form an electrostatic latent image thereon; an image developer developing the electrostatic latent image with a toner to form a toner image on the electrophotographic photoreceptor; and a transferer transferring the toner image onto a transfer material, wherein the electrophotographic photoreceptor comprises: an electroconductive substrate; a charge generation layer located overlying the electroconductive substrate; a charge transport layer located overlying the charge generation layer; and a crosslinked charge transport layer, located overlying the charge transport layer, wherein the crosslinked charge transport layer is formed by hardening a radical polymeric monomer having three or more functional groups without a charge transport structure and a radical polymeric compound having one functional group with a charge transporting structure.

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:
 an electrophotographic photoreceptor; 
 a non-contact charger located and configured so as to be able to charge the electrophotographic photoreceptor; 
 an irradiator configured to irradiate the electrophotographic photoreceptor to form an electrostatic latent image thereon; 
 an image developer configured to develop the electrostatic latent image with a toner to form a toner image on the electrophotographic photoreceptor; and 
 a transferer configured to transfer the toner image onto a transfer material, 
 wherein the electrophotographic photoreceptor comprises:
 an electroconductive substrate; 
 a charge generation layer located overlying the electroconductive substrate; 
 a charge transport layer located overlying the charge generation layer; and 
 a crosslinked charge transport layer, located overlying the charge transport layer, 
 wherein; 
 the crosslinked charge transport layer is formed by hardening a composition comprising a radical polymeric monomer having three or more functional groups without a charge transport structure and a radical polymeric compound having one functional group with a charge transporting structure; and 
 at least one of the radical polymeric monomer having three or more functional groups without a charge transport structure and the radical polymeric compound having one functional group with a charge transporting structure comprise at least one functional group selected from the group consisting of acryloyloxy groups and methacryloyloxy groups. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The image forming apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the crosslinked charge transport layer has a thickness of from 1 to 10 μm. 
     
     
       3. The image forming apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the crosslinked charge transport layer has a thickness of from 2 to 8 μm. 
     
     
       4. The image forming apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the non-contact charger is a charging roller. 
     
     
       5. The image forming apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the charging roller is applied with an AC voltage overlapped with a DC voltage to charge the electrophotographic photoreceptor. 
     
     
       6. The image forming apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the charging roller and the electrophotographic photoreceptor have a gap clearance not greater than 100 μm therebetween. 
     
     
       7. A process cartridge comprising:
 an electrophotographic photoreceptor; and at least one of 
 a non-contact charger located and configured so as to be able to charge the electrophotographic photoreceptor; 
 an irradiator configured to irradiate the electrophotographic photoreceptor to form an electrostatic latent image thereon; 
 an image developer configured to develop the electrostatic latent image with a toner to form a toner image on the electrophotographic photoreceptor; and 
 a cleaner configured to remove the toner remaining on the electrophotographic photoreceptor 
 wherein the electrophotographic photoreceptor comprises: 
 an electroconductive substrate; 
 a charge generation layer located overlying the electroconductive substrate; 
 a charge transport layer located overlying the charge generation layer; and 
 a crosslinked charge transport layer, located overlying the charge transport layer, 
 wherein: 
 the crosslinked charge transport layer is formed by hardening a composition comprising a radical polymeric monomer having three or more functional groups without a charge transport structure and a radical polymeric compound having one functional group with a charge transporting structure; and 
 at least one of the radical polymeric monomer having three or more functional groups without a charge transport structure and the radical polymeric compound having one functional group with a charge transporting structure comprise at least one functional group selected from the group consisting of acryloyloxy groups and methacryloyloxy groups; and 
 the process cartridge is configured to be detachable from an image forming apparatus. 
 
     
     
       8. An electrophotographic photoreceptor comprising:
 an electroconductive substrate; 
 a charge generation layer located overlying the electroconductive substrate; 
 a charge transport layer located overlying the charge generation layer; and 
 a crosslinked charge transport layer, located overlying the charge transport layer, 
 wherein: 
 the crosslinked charge transport layer is formed by hardening a composition comprising radical polymeric monomer having three or more functional groups without a charge transport structure and a radical polymeric compound having one functional group with a charge transporting structure; and 
 at least one of the radical polymeric monomer having three or more functional groups without a charge transport structure and the radical polymeric compound having one functional group with a charge transporting structure comprise at least one functional group selected from the group consisting of acryloyloxy groups and methacryloyloxy groups.